Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows surpassed 1 million players on its launch day, March 20. The game, available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, reached this milestone before 4pm in Canada. Ubisoft expressed their gratitude on social media, stating, "It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players! Thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts for joining this adventure in Feudal Japan. We are beyond excited to start this journey with you!"

While hitting 1 million players on launch day is a significant achievement, it's challenging to determine the game's success without specific sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin's Creed Shadows currently leads as the top-selling video game on Steam, indicating strong revenue generation on the platform. Early data from Steam shows a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on launch day. Given the game's Thursday release, these numbers are expected to rise over the weekend. We'll gain a clearer understanding of its Steam performance in the coming weeks. It's worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.

For comparison, BioWare's single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, achieved a peak of 70,414 players on the platform.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

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The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, following delays and the commercial disappointment of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced several challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

The game has also been at the center of controversies, particularly in Japan. IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows to address concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding in-game temples and shrines. In a notable incident, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada discussed the game in an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows has been well-received, earning a 'very positive' user review rating with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review of the game scored it an 8/10, praising it as "one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."

Amidst these developments, reports suggest that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are engaging in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would allow them to retain control of the company.